FIELD REFERENCE / Getting started
Probably Stolen Best Specialization
Choose the opening you can run well, then expand into the business you want to build.
Apprentice is the best first-run choice if you want to learn the game. Water Merchant is a focused alternative for players comfortable testing and processing liquids. The remaining starts suit specific production or risk preferences; none guarantees the highest profit in every run.
Our recommendation by experience
The official release overview names nine scenarios and calls Apprentice the beginner option. This comparison follows those nine: it does not add announced future starts to the playable roster.
We rank an opening by how easily you can understand its stock, complete a sale and meet obligations. That is different from ranking the theoretical value of its equipment. A kit tied up in a slow process can be less forgiving than a smaller amount of flexible cash.
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview
Compare all nine starting scenarios
The activity descriptions follow the official scenario overview. The recommendations in the last column are our interpretation, not developer tier ratings.
| Scenario | Main activity | Who we recommend it for |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | General trading | First run; learn the ordinary counter routine. |
| Water Merchant | Test and process water | Players who enjoy a measurable treatment-and-sale loop. |
| Fence | Stolen goods and hidden stock | Players who already understand inspections and reputation. |
| Gunsmith | Weapons and modifications | Players willing to track permits, parts and orders. |
| Chemist | Recipes and chemical equipment | Players comfortable measuring and managing a more demanding start. |
| Hydroponic Farmer | Crops in limited space | Players who prefer planning production over quick turnover. |
| Aquafarmer | Tank care and fish | Players who like a recurring husbandry routine. |
| Rat Wrangler | Raise rats | Players who want to manage animals, food and breeding. |
| Rock Bottom | Rebuild from nothing | Experienced players seeking a deliberately difficult opening. |
Evidence: Developer: release and scenario overview
Cash is only one part of the starting kit
These are the community reference's scenario baselines, before additional perk effects. Confirm the new-game screen for your selected setup. Rat Wrangler's larger cash number does not automatically make it the simplest start: you are also taking on an animal business.
| Scenario | Listed starting credits | Listed weekly rent |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | 550 | 200 |
| Water Merchant | 400 | 200 |
| Fence | 450 | 250 |
| Gunsmith | 150 | 250 |
| Chemist | 300 | 200 |
| Hydroponic Farmer | 450 | 240 |
| Aquafarmer | 150 | 240 |
| Rat Wrangler | 600 | 200 |
| Rock Bottom | 0 | 200 |
Evidence: Wikily: starting scenarios
Understand what a specialist opening commits you to
Water Merchant gives you a clear problem to solve: identify what is in the liquid and choose the treatment. Fence trades that clarity for access to a riskier market. Gunsmith rewards knowing the difference between a useful component and an expensive item you cannot yet move.
Chemist deserves extra attention. The community Chemist guide describes a recurring cartel delivery obligation on that start. Buying into chemistry later is therefore not identical to selecting Chemist at the beginning. Read the scenario dialogue before treating its equipment as a free head start.
Evidence: Wikily: starting scenarios · Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide
Make the choice in three questions
Starting perks are a separate decision. First choose the business you want to operate, then select perks that address its practical weakness. Do not combine a difficult start with several unfamiliar drawbacks just to maximize perk points.
- Have you played the introduction? If not, select Apprentice and learn inspection, buying, selling and the nightly screens.
- Which process would you enjoy repeating? Choose water, crop or animal management because you want that routine, not because a tier list promises effortless income.
- Can you explain the opening's extra obligations? If permits, faction pressure or a specialist supply chain are still unclear, learn them in a simpler run before committing.
COUNTER QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
Is Water Merchant better than Apprentice?
It is more focused. We recommend Apprentice for learning the whole shop, and Water Merchant when you specifically want a treatment business and understand its consumables.
Are there nine or ten specializations?
The official release announcement lists nine. Some pages mix future plans or other builds into their count; check the choices actually offered by your installed game.
Is Rock Bottom a good way to learn?
It removes the normal starting resources. Use it as a challenge after learning a reliable income route, rather than as your first introduction to the game.
Sources & evidence
Source notes identify the basis for this guide. Your current in-game tooltips and dialogue take precedence when a patch or mod changes a mechanic.
- Developer: release and scenario overview ↗
Official announcement. Establishes the nine release scenarios, store buyout goal and aquaculture basics.
- Wikily: starting scenarios ↗
Community transcription of starting menus and equipment. Starting figures can be altered by perks and difficulty.
- Steam: The Complete Chemist Guide ↗
lpinch's player guide checked against release game data. Supports evaporation and solvent recovery; no claim that this wiki reproduced the experiments.
Found a discrepancy? Send the page link and supporting evidence.